England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
